View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Digital Commons @ Butler University Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences Volume 15 Issue 1 Article 9 2012 College Greek Life: Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Queer (LGBTQ) Students Emily Welter Butler University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jiass Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Welter, Emily (2012) "College Greek Life: Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Queer (LGBTQ) Students," Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences: Vol. 15 : Iss. 1 , Article 9. Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jiass/vol15/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Butler University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Butler University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Undergraduate Paper College Greek Life: Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Queer (LGBTQ) Students EMILY WELTER Butler University ABSTRACT This is a qualitative study conducted at a small, private Midwestern university to gain an understanding of the social climate of Greek sorority and fraternity houses as it relates to the acceptance of sexual diversity. In- depth interviews with 11 LGBTQ students were conducted to gain an understanding of the perceptions and experiences of gay students with the Greek system. A number of themes emerged, including general decisions to join a Greek fraternity or sorority; the impact of sexual orientation; aspects of the sorority and fraternity lifestyle; gender norms and perceptions of sexuality: males versus females; Greek-Affiliated LGBTQ students: in-house experiences; and perceived reality versus overt discrimination.